Electron-discharge device



H. W. WEINHART.

ELECTRON DISCHARGE DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 25, l9l8.

Patented June 13, 1922.

warren stares smear osence.

HOWARD W. WEINHART, 0F ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO WESTERN MEG- TRIC COMPANY, INCORPORATED, 015 NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

ELECTRON-DISCHARGE DEVICE.

1,4111 arses.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented June 13, 11922.

Application filed October 25, 1918. Serial No. 259,639.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HoWAlm W. Winn- HART, a citizen of United States of America, residing at Elizabeth, in the county of Union, State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electron-Discharge Devices, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description.

This invention relates to electron discharge devices and has particular reference to means for supporting electrodes within devices of this character, for example, three electrode vacuum tubes.

An object of this invention is to provide means whereby an electrode may be sup ported in operative relation to other electrodes and yet may be permitted to expand under the influence of heat, so that no distortion of the electrode takes place which would impair the space relations between the several electrodes necessary for proper functioning.

The invention comprises a gas tight envelope having the usual glass squash at the bottom and an upright glass standard or arbor within said envelope and attaphed at its lower endgto the squash. Several electrodes are mounted within the envelope adjacent the arbor and are supported at some suitable )oint, in a substantially rigid manner, by suitable wires, either from the glass arbor or from the squash. This rigid support does not, however, prevent the electrode from expanding under heat and, in order that they may expand and still maintain the proper relations with one another, another connection is provided at a point on the electrodes distant from the rigid supports, said second connection being in the nature of a guiding connection which loosely embraces the portion of the electrode to which it connects, so that in its expansion the particular electrode or electrodes are maintained in their proper position with respect to the other.

provided with suitable means for supporting or guiding the various electrodes. Within the envelope 1 are several electrodes, a filament 4:, a grid structure 5 and a plate 6. These are connected to the proper power circults, respectively, by means of leading in wires 7,8, 9., 10 and 11. The electrodes, as a group, are arranged preferably in substantially parallel planes at a point above the end of the squash 2 and adjacent'and to the side of the end of the arbor 3. The filament 4, as shown, is preferably shaped in the form of the letter M, the three lower portions of which are connected to the leading in wlres 7, 8 and 9, respectively, and the two upper portions of which are connected to suitable resilient wires 12 and 13 which are looped around the upper end of the filament, and the other ends of which resilient wires are embedded in the upper portion of the glass arbor 3. The resiliency of these wires causes the filament to be maintained constantly in a suitable state of tension and this tension is maintained under all tempera ture conditions of the filament. The rid structure 5 is in the form of a double sur ace grid having two surfaces 14 and 15, each surface being 'provided with flanges l6 and 17 to provide additional stren h for the grid surfaces. Each of the sur aces 14 and 15 are connected at the adjacent ends of the flange portions by suitable connecting members 18, 18' and 19, 19 which are likewise flanged. To one of the lower connecting flange portions the leading in wire 10 is connected. A pair of supporting wires 20 and 21, of heavier material preferably than the leading in wire, are embedded at one end in the squash portion 2 and connected at the bther end to the lower connecting flange portions 18' and 19 of the grid. These wires 20 and 21 providea rigid support for the grid at its lower end. Extending vertically from the upper connecting flange portions of the grid are two wires 22 and 23. These are loosely embraced by loops in the ends of wires 24 and 25 which, at their other ends, are embedded in the glass arbor 3. The looped portions of the wires 24 and 25 provide means for preventing any lateral displacement of the grid and at the same time permit a'longitudinal expansion of the grid as a whole, under the. influence of heat.

The plate electrode 6 comprises two rectangular, portions 26 and 27 having their longitudinal edges flanged to provide proper reenforccmcnt as well as a surface of contact for wires 28, 29, and two similar wires of the. other side not shown which are welded to the flanges and connect the two electrodes and maintain them in a rigid space relation with each other. The leading in wire 11 is connected to any suitable portion of one or the other plate electrode, the particular ortion to which it is attached not being s own in the figure. Extending froma mid-portion of the glass arbor 3 is a pair of wires 32 and 33 which are welded to the flanged edges of the rectangular surface 27 which is, of the two, nearer to the glass arbor 3. The upper ortion of the rectangular plate surtace 2 7 is provided with two extending portions 34 and 35. Partially embracing these end ortions are the ends of wires 36 and 37 w liCll extend from the glass arbor 3 and are embedded at their other ends therein. These wires 36 and 37, in a manner similar to'the wires 24 and 25, afford means whereby the plate structure is maintained in its proper space relation with respect to the other electrodes and, at the same time, permitted to expand under heat so that no lateral distortion takes place. The electrodes might, without departing from the spirit of the invention, be rigidly supported from their upper ends and yieldingly guided from their lower ends although this change, which is obvious, is

not shown.

it will be noted, therefore, that this invention provides several electrodes which are supported rigidly at one ortion from a supporting arbor and are oosely guided at another point by other connections, so that they are maintained in substantial, vertical and lateral alignment with respect to one another and consequently function propcrly.

What is claimed is:

1. An electron discharge device comprising a gas tight envelope, several electrodes within said envelope, rigid supporting connections for said electrodes, and a loose guiding connection for certain of said electrodes.

2. An electron discharge device comprising a gas tight envelope, several electrodes within said envelope, a support for said electrodes within said envelope, a substantially rigid connection between said electrodes and said support at one point, and a loose guiding connection between certain of said electrodes and said support at another point.

3. An electron discharge device comprising a gas ti ht envelope, several electrodes in said enve ope, means for supporting said electrodes in definite space relations comprising a supporting arbor in said envelope, rigid connecting wires from said arbor 4 trodes at another portion to said electrodes at one end thereof, and loose guiding connecting wires from said arbor to certain of said electrodes at the other end thereof.

4. An electron discharge device compris ing a gas tight envelope havin a squash portion therein, several electro( es within said envelope above said squash and adapted to maintain definite space relations, an electrode supporting arbor attached at its lower end to said squash and extending upwardly adjacent said electrodes, a plurality of rigid supporting wires for one end of said electrodes extending from said squash and said arbor to said electrodes, and a plurality of connecting wires loosely embracing the other ends of said electrodes and extending thereto from said arbor and adapted to permit expansion of said electrodes while maintaining their proper space relations. 4

5. An electron discharge device comprising a gas tight envelope, several electrodes within said envelope, rigid supporting connections for said electrodes and a loose guiding connection for one of said electrodes. I

6. An electron discharge device comprising cathode, anode and grid electrodes and a guiding connection for one of said electrodes, which permits said electrode to expand and contract while maintaining said electrode in proper space relation with respect to the other electrodes.

7. An electron discharge device comprising cathode, anode, and grid electrodes and guiding connections for said grid and anode which permit said electrodes to expand and contract while maintaining said electrodes in proper space relation with respect to each other and the other electrode.

8. An electron discharge device comprising a gas tight envelope having a squash portion therein, several electrodes within said envelope above said squash portion and adapted to be maintained in definite space relations, an electrode supporting arbor attached at its lower end to said squash portion and extending upwardly adjacent said electrodes, a plurality of rigid supporting wires for one end of-said electrodes extending from said squash and said arborto said electrodes, and a connecting wire loosely embracing the other end of one of said electrodes and extending thereto from said arbor and adapted to permit expansion of said electrode while maintaining its proper space relation with respect to the other electrodes.

9. An electron discharge device comprising anode, cathode and control electrodes, means for comparatively rigidly supportin one of said electrodes to one portion thereo and means yieldingly supporting said elect iereof, said yieldnarrates ing support comprising an a ertured member and another member embraced thereby.

10. An electron discharge device compris ing anode, cathode and control electrodes, means for comparatively rigidly supporting said grid electrode at one portion thereof, and means for slidably supporting said grid electrode at another portion thereof.

11. An electron discharge device comprising anode, cathode and control electrodes, means for comparatively rigidly supporting said anode at one portion thereof, and means for slidably supporting said anode at another portion thereof.

4 12. An electron discharge device comprising anode, cathode and control electrodes, said anode and control electrodes presenting plane parallel active surfaces, and means for maintaining the parallel relation of said surfaces while permitting them to expand and contract.

13. An electron discharge device comprising anode, cathode and control electrodes, a plurality of said electrodes presenting plane parallel active surfaces, and means for maintaining the parallel relation of said plurality of electrodes while permitting them to expand and contract.

' 14;. An electron dischare device comprisin an anode and a cathoe presentingpara1 el active surfaces, and means for maintaining the parallel relation ofsaid surfaces while permitting them to expand and contract.

15. An electron discharge device comprisin anode, cathode and control electrodes, said electrodes presenting parallel active surfaces, and means for maintaining the parallel relation of said surfaces while per-' mittin them to expand and contract. 0 16. n electron discharge device comprismg anode, cathode and control electrodes,

- means for. comparatively rigidly supporting said electrodes at one portion thereof, and means for yieldingly supporting certain of said electrodes at another portion thereof.

17. An electron discharge device compris-' ing anode and cathode electrodes, meansfor comparatively rigidly supporting said electrodes at one portion thereof, and means for yieldingly supporting certain of,.said electrodes at another portion thereof.

18. An electron discharge device ompris ing a cathode, a grid and an anode, and

means for compensating for expansion of, .said anode whereby a unlform distance is mamtained between said gr1d and sald anode.

20. An electron discharge device com rising a cathode, a control electrode an an anode, said control electrode comprising a plurality of parallel members, and means for compensating for expansion of said control electrodewhereby auniform distance is maintained between said control'electrode I and said anode.

21. an electron discharge device comprising a cathode, a control electrode comprlsin a set of parallel members arranged on see side of said cathode, arranged exteriorl trode, and means or com ensating for expansion of said control e ectrode wherebya uniform distance is maintained between said control electrode and said other .ele'c trode. In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 18th day of October A. D.

HOWD w. rnnaar,

afpair of anode plates] 0 said control elec- 

